Crew 2, Sporting KC 1: Arrieta revs up offense

Sunday

Jul 29, 2012 at 12:01 AMJul 29, 2012 at 8:09 AM

On Friday night, the Crew signed an international designated player to come in and score goals. One night later in Kansas City, Kan., Jairo Arrieta showed that there already was a viable candidate on the roster.

Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch

On Friday night, the Crew signed an international designated player to come in and score goals. One night later in Kansas City, Kan., Jairo Arrieta showed that there already was a viable candidate on the roster.

In his third game with the team, Arrieta scored two first-half goals and goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum turned away a wave of second-half chances to help the Crew win 2-1 over Sporting Kansas City.

“I’m thankful to God for being here and being able to score two great goals,” Arrieta said through a translator. “It’s very important for me personally to score the game-winner. More important than that is that we were able to band together and hold onto the result.”

The Crew will have to wait for its new designated player, forward Federico Higuain of Argentina, to arrive. That might not happen until mid-August. Like the last time these teams met — a 2-0 Crew loss on July 14 — Kansas City (11-7-4) scored early.

After Crew defender Chad Marshall was called for a foul in the seventh minute, Kansas City midfielder Graham Zusi lined up a free kick from the left flank. As Zusi sent in his cross, Kei Kamara fought his way in front of Marshall near the center of the penalty area and headed the ball into the left side of the goal.

But unlike last time, when Jacob Peterson put Kansas City on top in the sixth minute, the Crew (8-7-4) responded.

Nine minutes later, defender Josh Williams pushed the ball up the left side of the field before spying Arrieta making a run. Williams’ pass hit Arrieta in stride as he cut toward the near post, and one dribble later he scored his first career Crew goal.

“The (Kansas City) goal, it was actually my guy who scored, so I knew I had to do something to help the team get the goal back,” Williams said of his assist. “(Arrieta) took a good touch, and it was a great goal by him.”

Seventeen minutes later, Arrieta took advantage of a poor pass by Zusi near the Kansas City goal and took a right-footed shot from about 25 yards past diving goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen for his second goal.From there, the Crew withstood nearly unceasing offensive pressure from Kansas City that nearly produced a tying goal at least a half-dozen times in the second half.

Six minutes after halftime, Zusi took a shot that Gruenebaum tipped high into the crossbar, where it ricocheted right to a waiting Teal Bunbury.With Gruenebaum on the ground and the net open, Bunbury pushed his attempt wide left from about 6 yards. Gruenebaum made two point-blank saves in the 55th minute against a charging Bunbury. Matt Besler’s shot in the 63rd minute came so close to going in that confetti was blasted into the air behind the net in celebration.

Kansas City had a man advantage for the final minutes of stoppage time after Cole Grossman earned a red card for his reckless tackle of Zusi. But Kamara missed from the mouth of the goal moments later on his team’s final opportunity.